Metro Mass takes delivery of 29 buses

Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Limited has taken delivery of 29, 47-seater buses to augment its fleet, with the view to improve on its services.

The buses will be used on the Accra-Tamale, Accra-Bolga, Accra-Kumasi, Accra-Bawku, Takoradi-Kumasi, Kumasi-Wa, Kumasi-Bolga, Kumasi-Tamale and Kumasi-Hamile routes.

They were handed over to the acting Managing Director of the MMT Limited, Mr Albert Adu Boahen, by the Board Chairman of the company, Mr Ahmed Arthur, at a brief ceremony in Accra yesterday.

The new addition brings the company’s buses which are operational to 379.

The MMT Limited was established by the government in 2003 with the mission of providing safe, affordable, efficient and reliable transport for commuters.

The shareholders include SIC Insurance Company Limited, the National Investment Bank (NIB), the Ghana Oil Company (GOIL), the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), the Prudential Bank Limited and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

The shareholders together have 55 per cent shareholding, while the government holds the remaining 45 per cent.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Mr Arthur said the purchase of the buses was part of the government’s efforts to boost the transportation sector and meet the needs of the public.

He said the MMT Limited had discharged its mandate creditably since it was established in 2003.

“But, just like any institution, over the years we have had our ups and downs and during these periods, we learnt good lessons. When we were down, we took note because we are a team determined not to make the mistakes we have made in the past,” he said.

Competition

“The MMT is a transport company that has no competition. This is because when you look at the work that we do and our charges, no transport company can be compared to ours,” Mr Arthur added.

Mr Arthur said many buses would be brought in to replace the old ones, adding that the company still stood by its vision to provide services at an affordable cost.

“And we are going to make sure that our key word, which is reliability, will always stand,” he stressed.

As a unique company with lower fares, he said, Ghanaians should be ready to experience the new MMT.

He said drivers who used the vehicles would be monitored and checked through the tracking system that had been put in place by management.

“Any driver or conductor who does not comply with our directives will not be part of the team that will be driving these new buses,” he mentioned.

Appreciation

Mr Adu Boahen thanked the government for the support and said mechanisms had been put in place to track the revenue that would be coming to the company.

The Traffic Operations Manager of the company, Mr Frank Yeboah Koranteng, said the MMT had established a complaints desk for customers to report any unprofessional conduct on the part of the drivers or conductors.

The Head of the Technical Department of the company, Mr Tackie Yarboi, in a brief remark, said a maintenance programme had been put in place to ensure that the buses were kept in good condition at all times.

“We have trained the drivers on how to use the buses. We are now going through a training programme for our technicians. We have a Korean to train the first batch of engineers and technicians so that they will have adequate knowledge of these vehicles,” he announced.